History of African presence in London facts for kids
The history of African presence in London goes back a very long time, possibly even to the Roman period. Over the centuries, people of African descent have played an important part in shaping London's story.
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Early African Presence in London
Roman Times
Scientists have studied old bones and DNA from Roman London. They found evidence of a woman from the southern Mediterranean who might have had African ancestors. She traveled to London during the Roman period, showing that people from diverse backgrounds were present even then.
The 1500s
During the 16th century, we know that people of African descent lived in London. Many worked in the noble courts of kings and queens.
For example, John Blanke was an African trumpeter who served King Henry VII and King Henry VIII. He even appears in a famous picture from 1511. Another person, Reasonable Blackman, was a silk weaver who lived in Southwark. Mary Fillis, whose father was a basket weaver from Morocco, became a seamstress in London. Prince Dederi Jaquoah, the son of a king from what is now Liberia, was baptized in London in 1611 and became a merchant. These stories show that African people were part of many different parts of London society.
African Communities in the 1600s and 1700s
Growing Numbers
By the mid-1700s, African people made up a small but noticeable part of London's population. British merchants became involved in the transatlantic slave trade, bringing many enslaved Africans to the Americas. Some of these enslaved people were brought to Britain as servants by ship captains, colonial officials, and plantation owners. This led to more Black people living in London, especially in the northern, eastern, and southern areas. There were also some freed slaves and sailors from West Africa and South Asia.
Life in London
In 1610, Prince Dederi Jaquoah, aged 20, came to London from West Africa. He was sent by his father to be baptized and stayed for two years. In 1684, Katharine Auker was brought to England from Barbados. After she was baptized, she was left without support. In 1690, she successfully asked a court to be freed from her enslavement.
Around the 1750s, London was a diverse city, home to people from many backgrounds, including African people, Jews, Irish, Germans, and Huguenots. In 1764, a magazine reported that there were "near 20,000 Negroe servants" in London.
Fighting for Freedom
Important African abolitionists like Olaudah Equiano, Ignatius Sancho, and Quobna Ottobah Cugoano lived in London during this time. They worked with other Britons to demand an end to the slave trade and slavery.
At this time, slavery in Britain itself was not fully supported by common law. However, enslaved Black people brought to Britain were still considered property. A famous court case, Somerset v Stewart, in 1772, helped change things. Lord Mansfield, a judge, declared that an enslaved person who ran away from their master could not be forced back or sold abroad. This decision encouraged many enslaved people to escape and helped lead to the decline of slavery in Britain.
The "Black Poor"
After the American Revolutionary War, many formerly enslaved soldiers who fought for the British arrived in London. They often faced poverty and had to beg on the streets. These people, along with others, were sometimes called the "Black Poor." They lived among white residents in areas like Mile End and St Giles. Most Black people in London were not enslaved but worked as domestic servants for wealthy families.
Olaudah Equiano, a former enslaved person, became a voice for Britain's Black community. He wrote a famous book about his life, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. In 1787, 441 Black people from London moved to the new colony of Sierra Leone with help from a charity. Their descendants are now part of the Sierra Leone Creole people.
The 1800s: Change and Progress
End of Slavery and New Challenges
In the early 1800s, more Black soldiers and sailors settled in London after the Napoleonic Wars. They faced many difficulties. The slave trade was completely abolished in the British Empire by 1833. This meant fewer Black people were brought to London from the West Indies and Africa.
Later in the 19th century, small Black communities grew in dockside towns like Canning Town, Liverpool, and Cardiff. This happened because new shipping routes were created with the Caribbean and West Africa.
Black Achievers
Despite facing prejudice, some Black people in England achieved great success in the 1800s. Pablo Fanque, born poor, became the owner of one of Britain's most successful circuses during the Victorian era. He is even mentioned in a Beatles song!
William Davidson was involved in a plot against the government in 1820. Nathaniel Wells, the son of an enslaved person from St Kitts and a Welsh slave trader, became Wales's first Black high sheriff in 1818 after inheriting a fortune. William Cuffay, whose father was enslaved in St Kitts, became a leader in the Chartist movement, which fought for workers' rights.
The 1900s and Beyond
Early 20th Century and Post-War Immigration
In 1909, a writer named Augustus Merriman-Labor noted that there were not many Black people in London, perhaps around a hundred.
However, things began to change. In 1943, Learie Constantine, a cricketer from Trinidad and an officer in the RAF, was refused service at a London hotel. He fought for his rights and won compensation, showing the slow but important steps towards equality.
After World War II, many Caribbean immigrants began to arrive in London. The first large group came on the HMT Empire Windrush in June 1948, settling in Brixton, which is now a well-known Black district. From the 1950s to the 1960s, many workers from the English-speaking Caribbean, especially Jamaica, moved to the UK. They were invited to help fill jobs in London's hospitals, transportation, and railway systems. African students, sportspeople, and business people also continued to arrive. These immigrants played a big part in rebuilding London's economy after the war.
New Laws and Political Voices
In the 1960s and 70s, new laws like the Commonwealth Immigrants Act made it harder for Black Caribbean immigrants to enter the UK.
In 1975, David Pitt became an important voice for London's Black population in the House of Lords. He spoke out against racism and for equality for all British residents. In 1987, the first-ever Black British Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected to the House of Commons. These were Diane Abbott, Bernie Grant, and Paul Boateng, all from the Labour Party. Diane Abbott was the first Black British woman elected to the House of Commons.
A Growing Community
By 1991, the number of Black Londoners was about half a million. Many of them were born in London or Britain. Even with a growing population and more Black MPs, many people felt that discrimination and economic unfairness still existed. The number of Black MPs continued to grow in the 1990s.
As of 2011, the total Black population of London was over 1 million, making up about 13.3% of the city's population. This shows the long and important history of African presence in London, and how it continues to shape the city today.
See also
- Historical immigration to Great Britain
- Black British
- Ethnic groups in London
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